School Districts May Shut School Doors If Budget Impasse Drags On
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- At the end of every month, school districts in Pennsylvania count on a big check from Harrisburg to help fund public schools, and for many districts, the funding is critical.
"McKeesport Area School District receives 72 percent of their funding from the state and federal grants and outside services," McKeesport Area School Superintendent Dr. Rula Skezas told KDKA political editor Jon Delano on Tuesday.
But for the third month in a row, school districts are getting nothing because a Republican legislature and a Democratic governor have not cut a budget deal.
"It's extremely difficult, and we're having daily conversations, not only with our business manager but school board, with administrators, and the community as well," said Dr. Amy Burch, Brentwood Borough School District superintendent.
The budget crunch has become so difficult that the Erie School Board has voted to close all Erie schools in October -- unless a budget is passed.
While the school board in Erie has taken a pretty radical step to announce it will close schools in October, none of the local school districts around here are considering that yet.
But that doesn't mean that the budget mess in Harrisburg isn't having a real impact.
McKeesport Area School District is about to borrow $5 million to keep schools open.
Delano: "Without borrowing money, McKeesport Area School District could not pay its teachers and its staff in October?"
Skezas: "That is correct."
Delano: "So, it's pretty serious?"
Skezas: "Very serious."
Some districts like Brentwood can survive for another month or so on their reserve funds, but at a cost to local taxpayers.
"Every day that ticks by, we're losing money," adds Burch, "not only from state revenue money that is supposed to be coming in but the interest that we could be making on our other investments."
And educators say it's time for citizens to speak out and politicians to listen.
"I call upon citizens and taxpayers to make their voices heard," says Burch.
"Our children need us. They need to be educated, and sometimes that is lost in political agendas," adds Skezas.
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